SweetP for Portugal summer surf?

02-27-2013, 10:32 AM

hey guys! as the post says, im going to portugal this summer for about 3 weeks with some friends, and I was wondering if anyone could give me a bit of advice where to surf(cheap is better!), and how the waves are in summer? Im going to buy a FW but it solely depends on the conditions over there. Was thinking Sweet P or Baked P 5'4 or 5'6. I'm 193 tall and weight 90+kg(around 93 dry). Currently own a Dom 6'4 fst which i believe to be a little big for me(could have gone 6'2).

if you are flying into Lisbon and are mobile (have a car), i would stick to the stretch of coast between Peniche and Sintra. If by summer you mean July/August then it's really the flattest time of the year around here so you'll be mostly chasing the spots that are better exposed to swell and at the same time can handle the strong NW winds in most afternoons. Those would be (from north to south): the area known as Almagreira/Belgas north of Peniche, Areia Branca and Santa Cruz south of Peniche, Ribeira d'ilhas, Foz do Lizandro and São Julião in Ericeira and Praia Grande in Sintra.

In Peniche there are good places to stay and cheap (campings and surf-camps or surf-hostels) and it's a good area to base yourself because, if there's swell. there are a lot of different beaches facing many directions (it's a peninsula) so there will be allways at least one spot firing. Another good place to base yourself is Ericeira (there's a great campsite with bungallows and several surf-hostels) because it lies in the middle of the way to most spots and it's where the better spots are (reefbreaks) if there is a good swell (which ocasionally happens in the summer). It's also Portugal's surf city and has a good nightlife.

In regards to boards, if you're only bringing one board then it's better to bring the Dom 6'4'' than a sweet P. If you plan on bringing 2 boards then a swet potato is a good idea although i really don't know if a SP506 govels better than a DM604.